In this post, we have CEO and co-founder of Travelogy, Winnie Tan (pictured), whose company runs multiple online media properties such as TripZilla, ComeSingapore, and Nearby.SG. She tells us how to take advantage of being in the minority in the tech startup scene, and explains the importance of being sincere and honest towards the people that you meet along the entrepreneurial journey.
She also mentions in our Q&A that one of the key attributes required to succeed in the technology and startup scene is knowing how to sell yourself. Amazingly I realized whilst many startup founders do know how to sell their companies, vision, and product, they don’t actually know how to sell themselves. Knowing how to sell yourself – i.e.: personal branding – is highly important. It attracts not just the money, but also team-mates who would fight alongside you even when you are struggling.
And Winnie also highlights that it is actually possible for women entrepreneurs to achieve a balance between work and family – and feels personally that she’s working towards achieving that.
Vanessa: Tell me a little about yourself.
Winnie: I am a serial entrepreneur and co-founder at Travelogy. My previous businesses included a bubble tea retail chain, a real estate company, and an art gallery. The work that I am totally loving and consuming me now is Travelogy. The little time I have outside of the company is spent with my two precious boys – Ethan who is six years old and Ean who is four years old.
What does your startup do, and what is your role?
Winnie: Travelogy runs multiple online media platforms that attract and influence travellers on their travel decisions. Our focus is in Southeast Asia (SEA) where the markets are fragmented and fast-growing, and hence has great potential for innovation. Our core product is TripZilla. TripZilla is an easy-to-use platform for users to search and book their travel plans. It aggregates travel prices, packages, itineraries, and travel promotions across all major booking channels.
As CEO of the company, I develop strategies and set goals for the business, steering the company towards these goals.
I am involved in all aspects of the business, from product development to sales to fund raising. But I’m very fortunate to have now built a strong team who is performing at each role than me, and so I can now focus on building Travelogy into the biggest online media player in the travel industry within SEA.
How and why did you get started in this industry?
Winnie: The team and I saw that the travel market in SEA is growing very quickly, with more people are shifting online for their travel needs. The rapid growth of internet, e-commerce, mobile, social media, and online marketing means that there are plenty of opportunities for innovation and disruption in this space. Technology adoption in the travel industry is seemingly lagging in Asia as compared to the west, and so we see a huge gap that needs to be filled. We are hoping to tap into the pool of early adopters and early majority to bridge this gap.
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